l'amore conquista tutti
by Dragonrider47
Summary: What if Sasuke had taken Sakura with him the night he left Konoha.


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I don't own Naruto, or anything to do with it. It is not my creation.

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The night was cold and still, and the moon at its fullest. Not a leaf rustled. The only sound that could be heard was the dull echo of footsteps against the cobblestone road.

A boy of 13 years walked slowly, hands in pockets, his emotionless face hung low. Slung over his shoulders was a backpack, filled with the little belongings he had.

He walked in silence. As he came upon a stone bench, a girl emerged from the trees ahead of him. She walked cautiously towards him and her eyes widened in dismay as she spotted his backpack.

He stopped beside the bench. "What are you doing down here so late at night? Just out for a stroll?" he said emptily.

"In order to leave this village, you have to take this road," Sakura Haruno spoke quietly.

Her head is hung low as he walked past her, merely a foot or so away. "Go home and sleep," he murmured softly, not even a glance passing between them.

Sakura simply stood there. "Why?" she whispered, and a lone tear trailed down her face. She turned to him and said, "Why don't you say anything to me? Why do you shut everyone out?" He just kept walking. "Why don't you tell me anything?"

"Why do I have to tell you?" he interrupted quickly, stopping in his tracks. She stared at him in silence, tears now flowing freely. "I'm telling you that you meddle too much. Stop bothering me all the time."

She turned her head away from him and whispered, "You always act like you hate me, Sasuke-kun." She faced him once more with a small smile. "Do you remember? When we became genin… The day the three-man teams were decided, and we were alone at this very spot." She paused before continuing, "You were angry at me, weren't you?"

_FLASHBACK_

_Sasuke was standing with his back to Sakura, leaves falling all __round__ them. "See, he doesn't have any parents." __Said Sakura, her hair billowing in the wind.__ Sasuke narrows his eyes. "Being alone, he doesn't get yelled at by his parents," she continues. "That's why he's so unruly."_

_Silence follows. Sakura just stands there, hands on hips. "Loneliness…" Sasuke spoke quietly. "You can't compare it to how you feel after you get scolded by your parents."_

_Sakura raises her hand out to him in concern. "What's wrong?" she says. Sasuke turns his head to look at her, "You are annoying." And with that he walks off, leaving a stunned Sakura behind him._

END FLASHBACK

She blinked back her tears and looked to the back of his head. "I don't remember," said Sasuke. Sakura's eyes widened with confusion and her tears began to flow once again. She watched as her tears hit the stones, making dark spots appear at her feet.

"That's alright. That was along time ago." She looked up to him once more. "But it started on that day. You and I." The memories come flooding back, making her smile. "And Naruto and Kakashi-sensei…"

_FLASHBACK_

_Kakashi__ is standing before the newly formed team 7, one hand on his hip the other holding two bells. __Sakura, Naruto and Sasuke stare at him, blinking.__ He dangles the bells, causing them to jingle._

…

_Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura are sitting side by side in silence under a tree, eyes closed in concentration, all three performing the same hand signs.__Kakashi__ sits in the shade of the tree, reading his book._

…

_Naruto turns to them smiling and punches his fists in the air with delight. The bridge-builder, __Kakashi__, Sasuke and Sakura look over at him with annoyance. That was at end of team 7's first mission._

"The four of us have done a lot together," said Sakura.

"It was difficult, and it was awful, but…"

…

_They are all sitting together eating ramen. __Kakashi__ is pushing away __Naruto's__ head with his palm, as he is trying to read his book. Sasuke and Sakura simply look on with distaste._

…

_Kakashi__ is kneeling down, one hand holding up his book, the other holding down a squirming Naruto. Sasuke and Sakura look up at them, Sakura smiling and Sasuke scowling. _

"But…"

"Even so…"

…

_The team is resting on the grass together. Sasuke has his back to the rest, __Kakashi__ with his arms folded under his head, Naruto spread out like a star and Sakura, staring up into the night sky smiling, hands clasped together. _

_END FLASHBACK_

She closes her eyes and smiles, "It was fun!"

Silence befalls them as she thinks of what to say next. Sakura sighed, "I know about what happened to your clan." She looked down at the ground. "But with revenge alone, you will not be able to make anyone happy."

A cloud passed over the moon, casting shadows upon them. "No one…" she whispered. "Neither you… nor me…"

"I know that," stated Sasuke softly. "I am different from all of you. I follow a different path than you guys. The four of us together… It's true that I have thought of that as one possible path. Despite the four of us being together, my heart has chosen revenge." He narrowed his eyes at the thought of it. "I live for that purpose."

"I can't be like you or Naruto."

"Aren't you going to be lonely by yourself?!" burst out Sakura with urgency. "Sasuke-kun, you told me that being alone is painful!" she cried. "I know that very well, so much that it hurts!" Her tears continued to fall. "I have family and friends. But… If you leave, for me…" Sakura took a step forward. She raised her clasped hand to her chin and scrunched her face up, crying. "To me… It's the same as being alone!"

Her words cut him deep, paining him more than she'd ever know. A picture of team 7 flashed through Sasuke's mind, his face softening. "From this point on, new paths will start." He murmured. Sakura took a step forward. "I… I love you more than anything!" she yelled at him. "If you are by my side, I will make sure that you will not regret it. I will make everyday more enjoyable, and you will be happy!" Sasuke just stared ahead in thought. "I would do anything for you! That's why… I beg you!" she cried out to him desperately. "Please stay here!"

"I will even help you with your revenge! There must be something I can do! That's why… please, stay here with me…" The cloud slowly drifted away from the moon, it's beam of glimmering light shining down upon her weeping face. She sobbed loudly. "If that is not possible," Sakura whispered gently. "Please take me with you…"

She stood there, her body shaking with sobs. After a minute or so Sasuke turned to face her, a smile playing at his lips. "After all this, you just don't get it."

Sakura froze, bewildering at what he could of meant by that. Sasuke turned and walked away from her. "DON'T GO!" she yelled franticly, running towards him. "IF YOU GO, I WILL SCREAM OUT LOUD AND…"

Sasuke disappeared before her eyes. But she soon sensed him, standing behind her. They stand there in serenity. Sasuke finally breaks the silence. "Sakura." The tenderness in his voice was sincere and compassionate. "You've shown me love, you've loved and cared for me more than anything else in your life."

"I… You… You must understand why I have to leave. My life's duty is to destroy my brother. If I leave for Orochimaru, then I will become strong and will be able to. But if I stay here, I fear that I will forget my mission" Sasuke sighed. "For I find myself…" he paused for a second, not knowing how to continue. He snaked his arms around her waist, hugging her from behind, and whispered gently; "I find myself… falling in love with you."

Sakura's eyes widened in shock and her heartbeat quickened significantly. "S-Sasuke-kun?" she asked, barely above a whisper. She softly placed her hands over his; just to prove to herself she was not dreaming. He entwined his fingers with hers and smiled a genuine smile, something he hadn't not done for a long time.

"I need to do this, for myself … and for you" he whispered into her ear. "I'll come back to you one day, I promise." He moved around to face her. Her emerald green eyes stared up into his, tears continuing to stream down her dainty face. Sasuke caressed her forehead and kissed the tears from her eyelashes.

"Sasuke-kun," she sobbed. "Please… please don't do this to me. All I want is to be at your side…" she trailed off, staring down at their feet. "But do you really mean that Sakura?" Sasuke lifted her chin, so he could look into her beautiful eyes. "Would you follow me no matter where I go, would you love me no matter what I do? If I told you to run, would you do it? To fight or hide? Would you willingly give up everything you have here, just for me? What would become of your family? Of your friends?"

His words surprised her. A cool breeze picked up, sending leaves scattering all around them. "All I want is to be with you," Sakura replied softly. Sasuke didn't smile; this was the last thing he wanted to hear. He raised a hand to her face and brushed a strand of her rose pink hair away from her eyes. "As much as I would like to take you with me," Sakura's eyes widened in shock. "I can't … I couldn't do that to you. You'll be safe here in Konoha. If you came with me you would always be in danger, and I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to you…"

"But Sasuke-kun, I don't care about any of that!" Sasuke turned from her, not able to look at the misery in her eyes any longer. "If you leave me here I will follow, I'll come after you again and again until I find you. You wouldn't be able to stop me," she cried in haste, clutching onto his arm in a desperate act to stop him. "Wouldn't you rather that I be with you, than out there alone searching for you?"

With those words she had trapped him, and Sasuke knew it. He couldn't see an easy solution; no matter what he did she would be in danger. He stood there in thought for a while, and then looked back to her weeping face. He had made up his mind.

"Then come with me Sakura."

Sasuke dropped his backpack and held his hand out to her. She placed her trembling hand in his, speechless. He gave it a light squeeze and turned around. He crouched down and wrapped her arms around his neck. Sakura climbed onto his back and he looped his arms around her slender legs. Sasuke stood up and shifted her a little higher up. "Let's go."

He walked forward as Sakura laid her head in the crook of his neck, her arms holding on tight. "I'll protect you Sakura." He whispered to her. "I'll guard you with my life. We'll become strong, together."

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So, what did you think?

You're all probably thinking that Sasuke is a little out of character, well that's because it's hard to right a romance story when he is so cold to everyone.

Well, I'm not sure if I should make it so that they go to Orochimaru or that they go off somewhere else and become powerful another way. Because I plan on making them come back to Konoha, and I don't really want them to become evil.

Should the next chapter be Naruto trying to stop them?

EDIT: YES I LOVE NON-EMO SASKAY!

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